ODNI News Release No. 9-06

We are all indebted to Porter Goss for his contributions to the CIA, the Intelligence Community, and the nation. He has worked tirelessly and effectively during a period of transition and reform to strengthen our human intelligence capabilities and improve our intelligence analysis, all this while our country has been engaged in a global war on terror.

As President Bush said earlier today, Porter honors the proud history of the CIA. The brave men and women of that organization have always been his first priority.

His long association with the Agency and his service as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence enabled him to make critical decisions that helped protect Americans and preserve our national security.

As my friend for almost fifty years, I will miss Porter's day-to-day counsel. I salute his service to our country, and I want to thank him for his outstanding work on behalf of the men and women of our nation's Intelligence Community.